Happy Christmas

We are in Bangkok celebrating Christmas with my Dad! After opening our Christmas stockings, we spent the morning sunbathing and swimming in the pool. We have just got back from our sushi lunch and are looking forward to turkey and Christmas cake tonight!

Happy Christmas to everyone, lots of Love Alex, Steve and Nigel XXX

Siem Reap

After relaxing for one day we decided to sort out some transport to take us around the temples for the next 3 days. We thought a Tuk Tuk or moto might be a bit uncomfortable for the 3 of us and I organised a car. Without realising I signed us up for the full works, a shiny new luxury VIP people carrier with a driver and an official guide for 3 days. After the initial excitement about this royal tour we were soon brought back down to earth with a thump when the guide launched into his well rehearsed spiel in a loud robotic voice ruining any atmosphere or time to take in the surroundings at the first temple. Fortunately he calmed down a bit and after politely asking him to let us find our own way around for a bit, things got better.

The temples were mind boggling to see, we went to 16 sites in total and although the guide was annoying at times we did learn a lot from him. This is a picture of Angkor Wat at sunrise, a great finale to our 3 day tour. We went back again for sunset, it is the largest temple and the most spectacular.

Boat trip from Battambang to Siem Riep

Somehow Steve managed to persuade me to go on the boat trip from Battambang to Siem Riep even though it was described in the Siem Riep Visitors Guide as ‘the boats in no way meet international safety standards’!! Fortunately I did not read the bit about frequent breakdowns in the Lonely Planet until we were on the boat! However it did seem marginally preferable to the 6 hour local bus ride on what was described as torturous roads!

After a 5.45am start we boarded the boat at 7am and got the best seats on the roof! We passed the most amazing scenery which consisted of floating villages, waving locals, tropical birds (including eagles) swooping by and numerous bamboo fishing net structures. Part of the journey involved navigating waterways barely large enough for the boat to pass so we had to duck as branches swept by, hoping there was enough water below to stop us from running aground.

After several stops to deliver various goods to the locals we arrived 7 hours later rather sun stroked and very hungry! We had pre booked a guesthouse and were relieved that they still had our booking however when we got to the room it wasn’t up to standard! As it was our last 5 nights on this trip and we had slummed it all the way (!!!!!) we decided to upgrade ourselves to their best room with our own mini garden!!

My Dad arrives this evening so we are going to meet him at his very plush hotel where hopefully he will spoil us!!

Battambang

After spending a couple more days in Phnom Penh we boarded a bus and headed up to Battambang. We were a little nervous at the start of the journey being the only westerners on a packed local bus but after making friends with the children next to us, it was an amusing trip. The only slight hickup was when the bus broke down and we all had to get off and push it to jump start it going again!

For fear of any more eco-lodge experiences the only way Alex was persuaded on this adventure off the beaten track was to stay in a decent hotel. However when we arrived they did not have our booking but fortunately had a room for us which was lovely.

We spent the next 2 days with a great Tuk Tuk driver meeting his family and the locals, exploring the countryside and really experiencing Cambodia. One of the highlights was riding the Bamboo Train which you can see in the picture above. We flew down the railway line at great speed which felt like a rollercoaster ride and when the Phnom Penh train was in sight we had to jump off so they could take our train off the tracks to let it go by!!

Sihanouville

We are now in the south of Cambodia relaxing by the sea and there are no scary bus rides or animal stories (apart from the rat that just ran past me!) to tell!

After looking at 7 places to stay and telling the taxi driver about a million times we did not want to stay in the cheapest place in town (where he got commission from) we eventually found a hotel with a normal looking bathroom and a swimming pool - luxory at last!!! We have been here for the last 5 days and plan to stay a few more as our day involves sunbathing by the pool, going to a bar to watch the sunset and drinking from about 4.30 onwards!!

We ventured out to Ream National park yesterday but after not seeing monkeys and dolphins as promised, having a very bumpy boat ride there and back on a lopsided boat and then being told about a million times by the guide how poor he was, we decided to give the day trips a miss..... relaxing is much more fun! Not very cultural but something we both needed!